


Angel

by yeahmalec



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angel Alec, Angel!Alec, Caring Magnus, M/M, Magnus taking care of Alec, Malec, caring!magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 16:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12039951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahmalec/pseuds/yeahmalec
Summary: Where Alec is born with angel blood but black angel wings, and for the first time in his whole life, someone assures him it's okay to be different from others.





	Angel

It's past midnight when Magnus alerts to the panicked knocks on his door. There's a sudden terror in his heart, like he knows something bad is going to happen and even though he wasn't sleeping, the feeling of exhaustion settles in. His exhausted of the feeling of constant fear lurking in his bones, especially when most of the times the feeling has been correct and Magnus doesn't like it, and more despises the memories always floating back into his mind as misty clouds from the feeling. Now, that all the electricity is gone from Magnus' loft because one of his old enemies casted a spell above his house - that the mighty Magnus hasn't gotten the power to undo it - when he denied to help him.

Magnus reaches to open the door with Chairman Meow purring at his leg. Magnus' fingers wrap around the door knob, other hand tightly clutching the medal candle stand in his hand. His apartment is lightened by multiple candles and even he is confused as how he's so drained from power and magic. Maybe it's just been a long day of obnoxious clients.

When the door opens with a small crack, Magnus almost drops the candle on the ground at the sight. ''Alexander,'' he whispers and once again, the agonizing terror is right as ache settles in Magnus' heart. He positions the candle on one of the table hastily, hands reaching for the fallen angel standing before him. The sight is beyond heart-breaking. A fragile, emaciated angel standing in front of him with hands wrapped around himself. There's trails of blood all over his upper body that's completely exposed, deep cuts carved into the skin. The pale skin looks sickly, shaking and the dark, long and furry winds clumping to his back at the amount of blood in them. Magnus' hands instantly clutch the boy, softly pulling him inside as the door slams close. He can feel the warmth of Alec's body colliding on him being replaced by coldness.

He leads the fragile angel into his bedroom, settling him to sit on the couch with his hands already blood smeared. He's opening cabinets and banging them close, hurrying to Alec in fear. The blue, buoyant and sparkly cloud floats and blends into Alec's skin, some blood disappearing from the surface. "N-no," Alec's voice is shaky, an echoing whisper in the silence as his hand moves to cover Magnus'

"Stop," Magnus says steadily yet sternly, removing the hand and continuing. He can feel his own body growing tired but he keeps going, trying to seal the deepest cuts but it seems to be impossible. There's hesitant but quick movement as the warlock hastles with different objects, alnost crying out loud from pain. It's like he can feel his angel cry. "Don't move, darling."

Magnus presses a soft cotton towel that's been dipped in water and someone healing potion, gently swiping Alec's back with it, resulting the angel whimper in small pain. "It's okay," Magnus tries to assure him. "You'll be fine." He steadily says even though it feels like his voice is going to falter. 

Magnus has no idea what happened to the boy sitting shakily on his bed and he doesn't ask questions as his voice soothes over the smooth skin, cleaning the blood and cuts. He knows even something as small as touching the skin of an angel is intimate to them, so the warlock keeps glancing at Alec, trying to see weak signs of protest but detects none. ''Alec, I need to -'' Magnus takes a deep breath, feeling Alec stiff. ''I need to pull them out.''

Alec knows exactly what Magnus is trying to say, even in his weakened state. He nods, trying to relax his muscles and breathe more. ''May I?'' Magnus politely asks with his palm hoovering over Alec's black wings, and Alec nods. 

''Yes.'' He whispers, closing his eyes at the small relaxation floating through  him as Magnus' hand landed on his sticky feather, until he feels one or two being pulled out, the screeching pain shooting like an arrow through his whole body and resulting him to scream in pain. Usually, Maryse or himself would do this - it's a must to pick out feathers that have died, so that new ones can grow. By dead feathers, it means feathers that have been soaked with too much blood of own, resulting in death. 

Alec breathes frantically, squinting his eyes and gripping the sheets tightly. There's sweat forming on his forehead as pain waves over him, sometimes replaced by Magnus' warm hand and the floating magic under his skin. Alec tries to focus on the soothing words Magnus speaks, crying out every time he feels his own feather pulled out under his skin. 

''Magnus I can't - '' Alec nearly collapses on the bed until he feels warmth invade him, hands wrapping around him. 

''It's okay, it's over,'' he feels at peace, never had so much care around him at a fragile moment like this. Maryse would leave Alec handle his own mess, only because she despises the color of his wings. Magnus settles Alec to lie on his stomach, ''I'll be back soon.''

He runs in the bathroom that's attached to his bedroom, turning the warm water to float into the tub, lighting a few candles to make the cool space feel more warm. He walks back into the bedroom, staring at Alec for a second until walking back to him. 

''You need to get up, darling,'' Alec nods, getting up with the help of Magnus and walks into the bathroom. ''Get in the tub and yell when you're there, I'll come and help you.''

He feels like he's invaded Alec's personal space more than enough as he exits the room, closing the door behind him but keeping his back against the door. He hears small rattle of belt dropping on the floor and small huffing, until the water stops running and the sudden smell of lavender mixed with vanilla fills his scents. 

''Magnus,'' Alec's weak voice hollers and the warlock waits for a second until opening the door, pained from the expression of such vulnerability on Alec's face. ''I can do this on my own, you don't have to.'' Something in Alec voice pleads Magnus to stay because he isn't capable of doing anything on his own. 

Magnus shakes his head, filling a large plastic bowl with warm water to place on the tile floor. ''No, you can't.'' Magnus whispers when sitting down on his knees behind Alec, gently settling between Alec's wings. ''Do they hurt?'' 

''Yes.'' Alec says, bringing his knees up to his chest in the warmth of the water. 

Magnus wets his hands, running the gently through Alec's raven hair. ''I'm sorry.''

''You don't have to be,'' Alec whispers, staring at the wall. He enjoys the smell of the soap, and the feeling of fingers tugging at his hair as they smooth over it. Magnus doesn't. He doesn't enjoy the tackiness of blood, or the color of it soaking his hands. He hates to know that something has done this to Alec.

''What happened?'' 

Sigh. 

''It doesn't matter,'' Alec says and swallows deeply. ''Nothing's going to change, no matter who knows.'' 

''That's why you came here, right?'' Magnus mumbles, ''So that your family wouldn't know?''

''No.'' Alec says sternly. ''That's not the reason.'' Alec is silent for a moment. ''Why'd you help me?'' He asks, instead of saying thank you. 

''Why'd you let me?'' He asks back, soaking covering Alec's eyes and rinsing the soap out of his hair with the small amount of water mixed with blood dripping into the bath. 

''I'm not -'' Alec inhales, ''I feel like I can.'' He says, fiddling with his bicep. ''I'm not sure if I should, nevertheless I feel like I can let you help me.'' 

''Why me?''

''Because you're the first one who doesn't express hateful interest to my wings. Neither do you want them decorating your kitchen wall,'' Alec doesn't hesitate to say.

''You're welcomed anytime you need or want to come.'' Magnus says, ''Nothing's going to harm you here.'' 

''That's what I'm afraid of,'' Alec whispers, his eyes suddenly again filled with no emotion. ''This already feels more nicer than anything ever at the institute.''

Magnus hums, smiling slightly. ''How does it feel? Life at the Institute.''

''Tiring,'' Alec sighs. ''There's never that... Comfort or love. We're taught that emotions aren't useful and that whatever help we want we can survive without. We need to take care of ourselves because no one else is going to do it.''

Magnus doesn't know what to say. 

''It's cold there.'' Alec adds, ''The only person who I've ever felt like loves me is Isabelle. Otherwise, no one wants me anywhere because of the color in my back. It's not - it's not fair.''

''Nothing is.'' Magnus silently says, ''But as I said, whenever you're welcomed here.  And Chairman Meow knows how to open the door if you kick it twice.'' Magnus says, and Alec turns his head to face Magnus. 

''Thank you,'' he whispers. ''Really, Magnus. Thank you,'' he sighs, wincing slightly when he feels the movement of his wings. 

''That's a good sign, yes?'' 

''Yeah,'' Alec huffs through his clenched teeth. ''It's just a bit painful, sometimes when it's not controllable.'' 

Magnus stares Alec's clenching back, seeing the dark purple and black veins appearing on his back as the wings slowly suck into the skin, small stream of blood following the bone on his back. The veins spread on his lower back and Alec breathes unevenly, resulting Magnus rubbing soothingly his shoulder. 

The veins spread over his back several minutes, and Magnus couldn't do anything about it, said Alec. But he stays, whispering words until Alec starts to calm down. He leaves Alec by request, nervously sitting on the edge of the bed until Alec comes out, sitting next to Magnus with a towel wrapped around his lower body.

Hesitantly and beyond clueless to what he has to do, Alec gives Magnus a small hug. ''Thank you.'' He whispers, grateful. 

''Thank you,'' Magnus pushes. ''It's beyond what I can imagine. You letting me this close, especially a warlock.''

''I trust you.'' Alec whispers. ''My whole life I've had to second guess people but you - someone I barely know, has gained all my trust and appreciation. So thank you. Not only for taking me in but for not treating me differently or loathing me because I carry something hideous.'' 

''Alexander, listen,'' Magnus sighs, ''Nothing is hideous about you. The color of your wings doesn't define you as a person nor should it bring you down. They are absolutely beautiful, white, grey, or black. I don't care and neither should anyone else,'' Magnus says, speaking of experience. ''It's okay to be different, Alec.''

_It's okay to be different._

**Author's Note:**

> promise i'll edit any possible typos in 10 mins swear


End file.
